Her Last Stand
by maxandkiz
Summary: Coordinates lead Dean and Sam to the small town of Billings, Tennessee where boys have started to disappear. Can Dean and Sam figure out what's happening before its too late? Set sometime in early Season One.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

Dean Winchester whistled as he walked across the mini-mart lot where his beloved impala was waiting. Opening the driver's door he tossed the bag of treats at his little brother with a shouted "Head's up!" right before the bag hit Sam in the head. "Getting a little slow there, Samantha." Dean joked as he climbed into the car and gingerly shut the door.

"Cute, Dean" Sam mumbled his attention still focused on the paper-filled folder in his lap.

Sighing at his brother's lack of reaction Dean revved the engine and pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the road. He reached over to the radio turning the volume up to ear shattering decibels smiling as 'Highway to Hell' blared through the speakers. Tapping his fingers to the beat the young hunter alternated between watching the road and watching Sam who was totally absorbed in his research. It only took ten minutes for Dean to get tired of the silence. Snapping his fingers in his brother's face he called, "Sammy? Hey, Earth to Sammy?"

"What Dean?" Sam huffed out without looking up.

"Tell me about the case." Dean instructed. "Whatcha got so far?"

"Not much" Sam replied closing the file. "Billings Tennessee was just your normal dot on the map. A few people came during hunting season but it was basically a blink and you'll miss it town. Or it was until a couple of years ago when a huge sinkhole engulfed part of the road that led into the town. At a little over one hundred feet wide and a hundred and fifty feet deep it was the biggest sinkholes the area had ever seen. People from all around started coming to see it and the town kinda boomed over night. They rebuilt the road to go around the hole and the usual motels and tourist stops popped up on both sides of the new attraction. The town grew as more people came and everything was going great."

"Until?" Dean prompted motioning for Sam to move it along.

"Until two months ago when the disappearances started. So far four people have gone missing on the same stretch of highway, all boys between the ages of ten and fourteen. All were only children from single parent households and they all had longish brown hair. But that's where the similarities end. They didn't attend the same school, live close together, or even know each other for what I've been able to find out." Sam explained. "They just vanished on their way home, no sign of a struggle or anything. The police covered every inch of road and the buildings surrounding that area and came up empty. They even brought in tracking dogs. Each boy's scent led to the same part of the road before stopping. The police are theorizing that an abductor snatched the kids, put them in a vehicle, and drove away. And I can't help but agree with them. There's been no deadly accidents on that part of the road since it was built."

"There's gotta be something" Dean muttered.

"There's nothing, Dean. I checked all the information twice." Sam argued. "I think the police are right about this. It's just some perverted whack-o taking boys for his or her own amusement."

"No, no way, Sam" Dean retorted. "Dad sent those coordinates. That means something supernatural is going on."

"Yeah, cause the mighty John Winchester is never wrong." Sam scoffed crossing his arms and glaring out the passenger window at the scenery flying past.

"Give it a rest, will ya?" Dean huffed rolling his eyes at his pouting brother. "I know dad's not perfect but he hasn't been wrong about a hunt so far. All the coordinates he's sent have been dead on which means this is too."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to look through everything again." Sam conceded. "And then hit the library when we get to Billings. Maybe they'll have some info I don't."

"That's the spirit, Geek Boy!" Dean cheered. He watched his little brother open the folder and start reading once more before turning his attention back to the highway.

They drove for another half hour before spotting the sign welcoming them to the town of Billings, Tennessee. Driving past a wide variety of fast food restaurants and outlet stores the hunters continued on searching for a motel.

"Sam, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say the sinkhole was on the outskirts of town?" Dean asked. "Cause I sure didn't see any hundred foot hole in the ground."

"It's on the other side of town, Dean." Sam replied wincing as his big brother pulled into the parking lot of the Cozy Country motel. The building was so dilapidated that it looked like a strong wind would knock it over. Hoping that the inside looked a lot better he sat and waited as Dean walked into the lobby to book them a room.

"Room 11, all the way on the end" Dean announced as he sat back down in the classic Chevy. After quickly driving around and parking in front of the door to their room, he grabbed his duffle out of the back and hopped out of the car. "Come on Sammy! Let's get this party started!"

"Coming" Sam called as he climbed out of the impala bag in hand. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he slowly walked to the room. _"This place is giving me the creeps." _He thought glancing around the motel parking lot. Seeing nothing he shrugged and went in their room.

A few hours later

"Find anything?" Dean inquired as he sat down in a chair beside his brother.

"Nothing" Sam replied shaking his head. He quickly rewound the microfilm and turned off the machine. "An unidentified woman was killed in an accident during a police chase but that was on the section of road where the sinkhole is. Besides it happened over ten years ago. What about you? Did you get anything from the cops?"

"Nah, they don't know any more than you do." Dean said as he got up and walked to the library door. "That leaves the victims' families."

Sam followed his brother out of the heavy oak door and into the bright sunlight. Shading his eyes with one of his hands he went down the stairs and climbed into the gleaming black beauty that was parked on the curb. "Okay, guess we should start with Ms. Warren, the first victim's mother."

"Sounds good to me" Dean agreed as he started his baby's engine and pulled onto the road. He followed Sam's directions out of town taking a right onto a gravel driveway in front of the sinkhole.

A shiver went down Sam's spine as he gazed at the log cabin at the end of the driveway. Something about the place was familiar and not in a good way. He racked his brain attempting to figure out what was freaking him out about the place but the answer seemed to be just out of reach. Sam was brought out of his musing by Dean's voice calling his name. "What'd you say?" he asked.

"I said are you ready" Dean repeated looking worriedly at his brother. "You okay, Sammy?"

"I'm fine" Sam replied as he climbed out of the car putting a stop to their conversation. "Come on, let's go." He trudged up the porch steps and over to the front door with Dean right behind him. Ringing the door bell he stood and waited refusing to meet his big brother's eyes not wanting Dean to see his nervousness.

"May I help you gentlemen?" a short, thirty-something woman with long brown hair asked opening the door part way.

"Yes, Ma'am, we're FBI agents Cash and Jennings." Sam answered flashing his fake id. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your son's disappearance if you don't mind."

"I've already told the police and those other FBI agents everything I know." Ms. Warren informed them.

"We know ma'am. We're just double checking everything." Dean smoothly lied.

"Oh, alright, come in then agents" Ms. Warren said holding the door for Sam and Dean. Once they were inside she led them to the kitchen and motioned for them to take a seat at the table. "Would you like some coffee?"

"That would be great ma'am" Dean replied with a grin as he sat down at the table.

"Thank you Ms. Warren" Sam said taking the offered mug. He took a sip before setting the hot cup on the table.

"Now if you could just tell us about the last time you saw your son" Dean prompted.

"It was about two months ago. It was like any other school day. Danny got up and dressed for school before coming into the kitchen for breakfast. We had eggs and pancakes." Ms. Warren began.

Sam glanced around the room nervously unsure why he was freaking out. Tuning out his brother and Ms. Warren he leaned over peering into the living room. /Flash/ pictures of him when he was a toddler /flash/ children's books on his bed /flash/ a woman reading a cook book/ Sam jumped out of his chair and backed away from the table. In a full blow panic he turned and ran out of the room oblivious to Dean's calls.

After a hurried explanation to Ms. Warren, Dean raced through the house and out the door. Noticing the impala's open back door he rushed over eyes widening at the sight of Sam sitting knees pulled to his chest as he stared at the old cabin. Reaching out he gently grasped his little brother's chin pushing it up and over so Sam was looking at him instead of the house. "Sammy? Sammy, what happened in there?" Dean asked. Getting no answer he shook Sam's shoulder. "Come on kiddo, what's wrong?"

"Dean, I, I know w-who it is" he stammered.

"Who what is? Sam, what are you talking about?" Dean questioned anxiously.

"She's taking the boys, Dean. It's her" Sam cryptically said.

"Who buddy? Who's taking the boys?" Dean asked carding a hand through his little brother's hair to calm him.

"Mrs. Pool" Sam softly whispered. "It's Mrs. Pool."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

AN- I added the recipes for the casseroles in my stories to my profile for the folks that would like to try them out. Enjoy!

Previously on Supernatural- "Mrs. Pool" Sam softly whispered. "It's Mrs. Pool."

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

"She, she's tr-trying to fi-find her, her son J-J-Joey" Sam stammered.

"Awww buddy. Is that what's got you so tied up?" Dean softly asked. "Sammy, Mrs. Pool's…"

"I gotta get outta here" Sam broke in shivering at the feeling of someone watching them. "We've gotta go! Please, Dean! Please get me outta here!"

"Okay Sammy, we're going." Dean agreed. "Just calm down man." Quickly stepping back from the impala he shut the back door and raced around the black beauty. Pulling the driver's door open he climbed in and revved the engine. With a quick glance back at his freaked out little brother Dean put the car in gear and sped out of the driveway and back onto the road. Silence reined as Dean drove his baby down the road a few miles before turning into the parking lot of the Cozy Country motel and pulling up in front of their room. He worriedly watched as Sam practically ran to the room. Swiping a hand across his face Dean threw open the door and walked the few steps to the room door and walked inside.

Dean stepped inside the puke green room, tossed his keys on the table, and trudged over to his bed. Taking a seat on the side of the bed he leaned back against the headboard mirroring his brother's position. "Wanna tell me what that was about back there?" he asked as he glanced over at Sam.

"I told you, Dean. Mrs. P-Pool is back. That cabin is hers. It's where she took me when she, she…" Sam mumbled toying with the hem of his shirt.

"Sammy, it can't be Mrs. Pool. She's dead. You saw her get hit, remember?" Dean gently said. "And before you say it, I know people can be ghosts but dude, we don't even know if this is the right place. And even if it is dad and the others were there. I'm sure they took care of the body before we left. They wouldn't have taken a chance like that; not when you were involved."

"You, you don't believe me?" Sam whispered staring over at Dean with tear filled eyes.

"I didn't say that kiddo" Dean backpedalled frowning as his brother dropped his gaze to the floor. Sighing Dean walked over to Sam's bed and sat down on the side facing his little brother. "Sam? Look at me, Sammy." Dean softly called. He waited for Sam to look up before continuing. "I didn't say I didn't believe you, buddy. I think you believe it and it's not like stranger things haven't happened to us. But let's step back and look at the facts for a minute, alright? You did the research. Did you find any mention of Mrs. Pool?"

"No" Sam admitted. "But there was that article about an unidentified woman getting killed in a police chase. That's what happened to her."

"Well yeah. But the paper didn't name the woman so that doesn't really prove it either way." Dean pointed out.

"But Dean that was her cabin. I'm sure of it." Sam stated.

"Maybe it is. That still doesn't mean it's her man." Dean argued. "I mean she took you, what thirteen, fourteen years ago. Why wait all those years?"

"The sinkhole!" Sam exclaimed. "That road was nothing but forests and a few scattered houses until the sinkhole two years ago. Maybe the town building up stirred her up."

"Yeah, but still that was two years ago. The disappearances didn't start until two months ago. Why the gap?" Dean said pushing the uneasy feeling in his gut to the side. Standing he began to pace.

"I don't know." Sam replied. "Maybe it took her a while to get the hang of being a spirit or something."

Rolling his eyes at the suggestion Dean rubbed the back of his head as he paced to the door and back. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. Get on the laptop and see if you can't find out who owned that cabin before Ms. Warren." Dean instructed as he headed for the door. "I'm gonna call dad and find out what they did with the body."

"Yeah, like he'll answer his phone." Sam muttered pulling out his laptop and firing it up.

"Sam" Dean warned opening the door. "Lay off dad, okay?"

"Fine" Sam huffed as he tapped furiously on the keys.

Shaking his head Dean stepped out of the room and shut the door. Taking his cell out of his jacket pocket he hit his dad's speed dial number and put the phone to his ear. Getting the senior Winchester's voice mail he quickly cut the call and punched in a number he hadn't used in a long time. Three rings later he heard a gruff 'hello'. "Bobby, its Dean Winchester." He greeted. "I need your help…No, nothing like that. I just have a question about something that happened a long time ago. I'd ask dad but he's not answering his phone and I really need…yes sir. What happened to, ummm, to Mrs. Pool's body? You guys did salt and burn it, right?...Bobby, you still there?...We're in Billings, Tennessee…Yeah, Sam and me…What? Please tell me you're kidding…shit! Okay, listen I gotta go. I'll talk to you…you don't have to do that Bobby…yes sir…See you later then. Thanks, Bobby"

Flipping his phone shut Dean spun around and kicked the wall. Furious about what he'd learned he raised his hand to throw his cell and stopped hitting speed dial instead. He waited for the beep and then spoke. "You no account son of a bit**! How could you send us here knowing it was her?! What, you don't think that witch screwed Sammy up enough the first time? All those months of nightmares and panic attacks not enough for you old man?! Or is this some kind of sick test? Some stupid test for Sammy to prove he's still a good hunter or something?! Whatever it is you can forget it! I refuse to stand by and watch Sammy go through that again! Sammy and I are outta here!" Snapping the lid shut Dean angrily shoved the phone back in his pocket. After giving himself several minutes alone to cool down, he went back into the motel room and walked over to the table where Sam was sitting. "Get your stuff. We're leaving." He announced.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- After giving himself several minutes alone to cool down, he went back into the motel room and walked over to the table where Sam was sitting. "Get your stuff. We're leaving." He announced.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

Dean stomped into the bathroom, snatched their kits off the counter behind the sink, and trudged back into the room. Grabbing his duffle he dropped it on his bed and stuffed both shaving kits inside. Noticing that his little brother hadn't moved yet he called out, "Get a move on, Sammy!"

"No" Sam whispered staring down at the grimy carpet. He nervously toyed with the hem of his shirt shivering at the thought of facing Mrs. Pool once more.

""What was that, Sam?" Dean asked stopping his frenzied packing and walking over to kneel in front of his little brother.

"I said no Dean" Sam repeated voice growing louder with each word. "I'm not leaving. We have a job to do."

"You don't have to worry about the hunt kiddo. Bobby's coming. He'll deal with it." Dean explained.

"No, no way. It'll take Bobby more than twenty four hours to get here from his place." Sam argued. "What if she takes another kid before then?"

"She won't" Dean replied with a shrug.

"But what if you're wrong? Will you be able to live with yourself if she snatches another boy?" Sam questioned nervously running a hand through his hair. "Cause I won't."

Dean opened his mouth to reply only to close it after seeing the determined look on Sam's face. He'd seen that look before and he knew he didn't have a snowball's chance of changing his little brother's mind now. Shaking his head Dean huffed. "Fine, we'll stay." Dean conceded. "But only till Bobby gets here. Then we hit the road. Deal?"

"Deal" Sam agreed. Reaching for his laptop he turned it so his big brother could see the screen. "I did some checking while you were outside and I found out that the cabin was originally built by M, Mrs. P-Pool's parents. She inherited it after they both passed away. After she was killed, it was sold to some rich couple that just happened to be passing through. They came a handful of times before putting it up for sale saying that the place gave them the creeps. The cabin had several owners and renters from there but no one stayed very long. One couple even hired some amateur ghost busters group to come check out the place. The group spent the night at the cabin and then gave the couple a stupid line about the fuse box putting out too much electrical energy or some such crap. Mr. and Mrs. Summers moved out four days later. They were the last ones to live in the cabin until two months ago when Ms. Warren and her son moved in."

"You think the kid being in the house is what set Mrs. Pool off?" Dean asked sliding a chair over and taking a seat.

"Yeah, I mean it makes sense. You saw his picture; he looks a lot like I did at ten. Mrs. Po-Pool must have seen him and thought he was me, umm, Joey." Sam concluded.

"But then where'd she take him? And if she thought Danny was Joey, then why did she take the other boys?" Dean asked rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know. Maybe she figured out he wasn't Joey" Sam suggested.

"Could be. But that still leaves us with the where." Dean pointed out. He scratched at a scuff mark on the table top for a moment and then added, "I think we need to talk to someone that knew Mrs. Pool."

"Who, Dean? Her parents, husband, and son are all dead. And the people around here don't know who she was." Sam stated with a frown. "There's no one left to talk to."

"That's not exactly true, Sammy." Dean countered. "There is one person that might know something."

"Who?" Sam curiously asked as he glanced back at the computer screen to see if he had missed something.

"You, Sam" Dean replied. "You were at the cabin with Mrs. Pool for a week before we found you."

"Dean" Sam quietly warned. "Don't"

"I'm sorry Sammy." Dean apologized placing a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "I know you don't want to think about what happened but you're gonna have to if we're going to have a chance of finding those boys."

Sam glanced brokenheartedly at Dean then dropped his gaze to his hands and nodded. "I, I don't remember much; just bits and pieces really." Sam softly said.

"Think Sam, did she take you anywhere besides the cabin?" Dean prompted gently squeezing his little brother's shoulder. "Or talk about some special place she would go with Joey?"

"Not that I remember" Sam replied. "But I was really out of it from the meds she kept giving me. She could have said something and I just don't remember it."

"That's okay buddy. We'll figure it out. We'll go out to the spot where the boys disappeared and scout out the area." Dean decided getting out of his chair. "But first we're gonna scope out the diner down the street. I'm starving!"

"You go ahead. I'll stay here and check out a few things. I'm not hungry." Sam said groaning as his growling stomach betrayed him.

"Careful getting out the door Pinocchio!" Dean quipped. "I'm not paying for it if you put a nose sized hole in the door."

Sam rolled his eyes at his big brother. Closing his laptop he stood and followed Dean out of the room.

Later

"I'm telling you Dean, one of these days you're going to get sick as a dog from stuffing your face like that." Sam scolded as the two climbed out of the impala and walked toward their room.

"You're imagining things Sammy. I didn't eat that much." Dean replied patting his belly.

"Dean, you ate four pieces of pie!" Sammy pointed out holding up four fingers for emphasis.

"It was *burp* good." Dean defended. Grinning he took the door key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

Shaking his head at his brother's antics Sam stepped into the room. "I swear Dean, you're gonna…" he trailed off freezing in shock. "D-Dad?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

AN- Sorry it's been so long, guys. And that this one is so short. Real life hasn't eased up yet. Hopefully soon it'll calm down enough for me to do something besides work. A big thank you to everyone still reading this one.

Previously on Supernatural- Shaking his head at his brother's antics Sam stepped into the room. "I swear Dean, you're gonna…" he trailed off freezing in shock. "D-Dad?"

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

"Hey boys" John greeted standing up and taking a step towards his two sons.

"D-Dad" Sam stammered. "Wh-what are you d-doing…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?!" Dean bellowed as he swiftly put himself between his little brother and father and positioned himself in a fighting stance. "What, sending us here wasn't enough for you, old man? You decide to come see the fireworks for yourself?"

Anger swept over John's face as the accusations flew from his eldest's mouth. Taking another step towards his sons he growled out, "Dean! That's enough! How dare you talk…"

"How dare I?" Dean repeated incredulously. "How dare you, dad! It's bad enough you sent us here after everything Mrs. Pool did to Sammy! But then you have the nerve to show up in our room and pretend nothing's wrong; like we're one big happy family! What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"Guys? Guys, come on. Let's just take a step back and calm down." Sam softly said as he stood to the side between the two furious Winchesters. Getting no response he tried again. "Guys, please?" Watching as his father and brother squared off against each other both still tossing hate filled barbs back and forth Sam snapped. Throwing his hands over his ears he yelled, "Stop it! Stop it!"

Dean spun around in surprise at his brother's shouts. Seeing Sam's distress he hurried over to his side. Taking the younger man's elbow the big brother gently guided Sammy over to the nearest bed and sat him down. He then reached up, took hold of the boy's wrists and lowered his hands to his lap. "Calm down kiddo" Dean whispered rubbing Sam's back. "Come on breathe with me, in…out…in…out. That's it buddy, just slow it down."

"S-s-sor-sorry" Sam rasped out after a couple of minutes.

"Nothing to be sorry for" Dean assured his brother as he glared up at their dad.

"Dean's right, Sammy. I shouldn't have just showed up at of the blue. I'm sorry, son." John apologized smirking at the shocked expression on both boys' faces.

"Huh?" Sam said rubbing his ear. "Uhh, Dean, am I losing my hearing or did dad really just apologize?"

"I think he did." Dean replied. Struggling to keep a serious expression on his face he asked, "So what do you think? He possessed or a shifter?"

Sam studied John for a moment before answering. "Nah, it's definitely dad." He declared with a mischievous grin. "He's got that whole constipated look on his face that he always has when he has to do something he really doesn't like. You know like that time at Jim's when that church lady…"

"Sam!" John shouted turning beet red. "I told you never to bring that up!"

"Yep, you're right. That's definitely dad." Dean snickered glad to see his little brother relaxing once more. "Shifters and demons wouldn't turn that lovely shade of red at the mention of that story."

"True" Sam agreed giggling at his dad's squirming.

"You two finished?" John asked with a sigh.

"I don't know" Dean replied. "What do you think, Sammy? Should we let the old guy off the hook?"

"Yeah, I think I'm done…for now." Sam said.

"Thanks, I think" John stated eyeing his son's innocent smile warily. "What about you, Dean?"

"Yeah, okay, I'll give it a rest." Dean agreed with a shrug. "Just one question though; why did you send us here when you knew Mrs. Pool was behind the disappearances?"

"Dean" Sam warned even as he glanced up curiously at their dad.

"No, it's okay Sammy." John assured before turning and looking his eldest son in the eyes. "I didn't know it was her, Dean. If I had known this was the town she took Sammy to, I'd never have sent the coordinates to you."

"How could you not remember that?" Dean growled wincing when he felt his brother tense at the anger in his voice.

"Dean, I had just gotten out of the hospital, remember? There's not much I can recall about that time." John reminded his son. "With the meds Bobby and Jim kept shoving on me I'm surprised I remember anything at all."

"So, you didn't send me here to see if I, if I…" Sam stammered dropping his gaze to the floor.

Leaning down John grasped his youngest's chin and gently pulled it up until Sam looked up at him. "No, Sammy. I would never do something like that to you." He firmly declared. "No matter what's happened between us in the past, you're still my son and I love you." The shocked expression on his baby's face at his words nearly broke John's heart. He'd always assumed that his boys knew he loved them. He opened his mouth to reassure both boys only to have it snap shut as Sam suddenly engulfed him in a warm embrace. Smiling he wrapped his arms around his boy and held on tight.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- Smiling he wrapped his arms around his boy and held on tight.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

Dean stood quietly by the bed happily watching as his dad and little brother finally fixed things between them. He waited patiently for the two men to break the hug but when several minutes passed and neither man had moved yet, the older brother decided he needed to do something before the situation got any more uncomfortable than it already was. Loudly clearing his throat Dean called out, "You girls about finished or are you planning to braid each other's hair and play "Pretty, Pretty, Princess"?"

John glanced over at his older son who was clearly becoming more and more uncomfortable about the 'chick flick' moment going on. _"Let's see if I can do something about that." _John thought as he turned back to his youngest. "Hey, Sammy, I think your brother's feeling left out." he stated with a wink.

A mischievous grin lit up Sam's face as his dad's idea hit him. "I think you're right." Sam agreed standing up. "And you know what that means; its group hug time!"

A wide eyed Dean quickly stepped back as his father and brother advanced on him arms out. "Not funny guys" he said backing into the wall. "Come on! Quit horsing around! We've got a hunt to take care of!" He hollered scooting along the wall toward the door. Dean was so focused on escaping that he almost missed John's barked, "Get him!" Jumping to the side to avoid John's long reach the young hunter found himself entangled in his brother's freakishly long limbs. Dean thrashed around trying to break free of the tight hold only for that hold to tighten as his dad grabbed him from behind. Stuck between two hugging family members Dean did the only thing he could; he quit fighting. He stood still through the seemingly never ending hug fest waiting for his father and brother to decide they'd had enough. Once the hug was finally broken, Dean swiftly walked over to the table and took a seat. "Can't believe you two did that" he grumbled.

"Oh come on Dean, it wasn't that bad." John chuckled as he sat down across from his eldest.

"Right and that lady at Pastor Jim's church wasn't that bad either." Dean shot back grinning.

"Moving on" John replied shuddering at the mention thought of that woman.

"Good, now that we're done, can we please get back to the case?" Dean asked.

John nodded in agreement. "I want you two to pack up and leave. I'll handle this one." He ordered in a no nonsense tone of voice.

"No, not happening" Sam adamantly stated shaking his head. "I'm staying."

"Sammy" John softly said, "You shouldn't be here. You're too close to this one."

"And you're not" Sam snapped back.

"Samuel Winchester, don't you argue with me!" John scolded standing and walking over to his youngest. "You and Dean are leaving! End of story!"

"No I'm not!" Sam yelled back. "I'm not a little kid anymore dad! I think I can decide what I can and cannot handle! I don't need you and Dean to hold my hand anymore!"

Dean shook his head as he watched his family go at it. He couldn't believe the two men who had just been hugging moments ago were now at each others' throats. Sighing, he stood and made his way over to the two and took up his usual spot right between the two warring Winchesters. "Alright guys that's enough!" he hollered holding up both hands. "Sam, you know dad's not implying anything. He's just trying to look out for you. And dad, if you'd bothered to ask us instead of your usual orders you would have found out that Sam and I already decided to leave in the morning after Bobby gets here."

"Cut the attitude Dean" John barked. "You boys are my children and you will do as you're told.

"What?!" Sam shouted starting to rise from his spot on the bed by the door.

"I got it Sammy" Dean growled motioning for his little brother to sit back down.

Sam fisted the sheets as he watched his father and brother argue over him and the stupid hunt. He tried to voice his own opinion several times only to be cut off by Dean or John. Frustrated the young man stood and made his way to the door. Shaking his head when his family didn't even notice the move Sam opened the door and walked out of the room. Dropping his gaze to the ground the youngest Winchester quickly headed away from the room and his arguing father and brother. Reaching the edge of the highway he turned and started walking wanting to put as much distance between himself and his family as he could for a while. "Can't believe they keep shutting me out!" Sam grumbled as he aimlessly walked beside the road paying no attention to the cars flying by. "I'm the one Mrs., Mrs., she took! I should be the one to fix things. I couldn't do anything back then but I'm more than able to handle her now. But no, the almighty John Winchester isn't going to give me a chance. He thinks I'm some weak little kid that still needs protecting and Dean's just as bad. But I'll show them. I take care of Mrs. P-P-Pool."

Back at the hotel

"Look dad, all I'm saying is that you've gotta go easy on the kid" Dean suggested. "This case has really thrown him for a loop; its brought back a lot of bad memories for him. You know Sammy can't even say Mrs. Pool's name with stuttering."

"Which is why he doesn't need to be here, Dean" John broke in.

"I agree" Dean replied with a nod. "But it has to be on Sam's terms. If we force him to leave, it'll just make things worse and I don't think…" Dean drifted off at the sound of someone pounding on the door. Reaching behind him he swiftly pulled out his Glock and walked slowly to the door. Gazing through the peep hole he shook his head and lowered his weapon. "Hey Bobby" he greeted as he opened the door. "We weren't expecting you till tomorrow."

"Hopped a plane right after you called. Didn't want you two chuckleheads to have to stay here any longer than necessary." Bobby explained throwing his duffle to the floor and taking the holy water flask from John. Taking a large swallow he handed the silver flask back. "We good?"

"Yep" John answered returning to the table. "Now that you're here Dean and Sam can hit the road."

"Where is Sam?" Bobby asked glancing around.

Stunned Dean hurried to the bathroom. "Sammy!" he called peering through the open door. Not seeing his giant of a brother the young man raced to the door. Throwing it open he scanned the parking lot and vending machine area for any sign of his little brother. But except for an old drunk passed out next to the machines there was no one.

On the road

Sam gazed up at the rising moon and sighed. He guessed it was time to start making his way back to the motel now. His dad and Dean would have a cow if they knew he was out here on his own. Turning the young man started walking back to the motel only to stop as a faint noise caught his attention. Standing perfectly still he turned towards the woods and waited listening intently. A whispered 'Joey' had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Nervously glancing around Sam suddenly realized where his travel had taken him; he was standing on the strip of highway all the boys had disappeared from. Panicking the youngest Winchester backed away his breathing speeding up as the voice called again closer this time. Jumping as AC/DC suddenly blasted through the air Sam stopped and rolled his eyes at his fright. Snatching his cell phone out of his pocket he glanced at the screen smiling at his brother's name. Relief flooded through Sam knowing Dean was on the other end of the line; he'd be safe now. Lifting the phone to his ear the young man opened his mouth to speak. He never got the chance. A cold breath on the back of his neck was Sam's only warning. Before he could move something thick and heavy slammed against the back of his head and he knew no more.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Warning- Strong language ahead. (What else do you expect with Dean, Bobby, and John all in the same room?)

Previously on Supernatural- A cold breath on the back of his neck was Sam's only warning. Before he could move something thick and heavy slammed against the back of his head and he knew no more.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

"Dad! Sammy's gone!" Dean hollered as he continued to scan the area for any sign of his mop haired little brother.

"Relax Dean" John sighed. "Sam probably just took a walk to cool off. He'll come back when he's over his little fit."

"Fit?" Bobby repeated glancing from John to Dean and back. Glaring at the Winchester patriarch he growled, "You did it again, didn't you?"

"Did what?" John asked. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, old man."

"Yes you do, Johnny." Bobby fired back. "You sidelined the kid again; sent him off while the grown-ups planned the hunt."

"I never did…"

"Like Hell you didn't!" Bobby hollered. "You've sidelined Sam from the moment the kid was old enough to be part of the hunt! You'd let him do all the research and then send him away like a little kid when it was time to plan out the details of the hunt. It's no wonder Sam never thought he was good enough to be a Winchester!"

"Now you wait just one minute!" John yelled back. Standing he marched over to his old friend scowling at the man. "Sam never thought that!"

"Uhhh, dad?" Dean interrupted.

"You really don't know your son Winchester if you think that." Bobby muttered shaking his head. Taking a seat at the rickety wooden table he picked up a handful of papers to keep himself from decking the man in front of him. "Remember that Banshee hunt when Sam was fifteen? You know the one where you almost lost Sammy?"

"What about it?" John demanded dropping into the chair across from Bobby.

"Caleb was so riled up it took me and Josh days to get him calm enough to tell us what happened." Bobby began. "He told us how Sammy managed to find out more about a banshee in one day than the rest of us could have in a week. Said the boy explained all the ins and outs in detail before handing you the research. And that as soon as he was finished you told the kid to go do his schoolwork or something while you guys worked out a plan of attack. No praise or good work son or nothing. In fact he said you yelled at Dean when he praised the kid. Caleb said he had never seen the kid look so defeated so he waited a little while and then made up some excuse to leave the table."

"Bobby?" Dean called.

"He went looking for Sam, found him sitting on the roof staring at the stars. Caleb tried to talk to Sammy, but Little Bit just shook him off. Told Caleb that he knew he wasn't good enough to sit and plan with the rest of the family. That he was the family screw up; that he was afraid he never would be good enough to be an equal partner with you and Dean." Bobby told his stunned friend. "Sam said he knew he drove you crazy with all his questions but that he thought he needed to have all the facts so he wouldn't screw up again."

"I never said…"

"You didn't have to; it was clear from the way you treated him." Bobby pointed out. "Sam figured if he asked enough questions, he'd know everything you and Dean already knew and he'd be able to keep you safe from his screw ups."

"But what about all that crap about being normal?" John challenged. "Sammy did question the hunt sometimes but most of his questions were about being normal or wanting to know why he couldn't be on the soccer team or some such crap like that."

"You are one thick headed son of a bitch, you know that" Bobby growled. "Did you even stop to consider what Sam meant by normal? He didn't mean the house and the picket fence and all that rot. Normal to him was being safe and being an important part of the family. He just wanted to be part of the hunt instead of the screw up geek boy. Why do you think he wanted to be on all those teams? The boy wanted to be part of group; one where he would be an equal. He wanted what you and Dean had; an equal partnership, one he was never really part of."

"Hey, guys" Dean broke in.

"We didn't…"

"Would you two shut the hell up already?!" Dean hollered banging his fist on the table to get the two older men's attention. "You two can sit and reminisce some other time. We need to get out there and find Sammy before Mrs. Pool does."

"Dean, I told you he's just out cooling off." John calmly said. "Why don't you try his cell? You'll see he's perfectly fine."

"His cell?" Dean repeated slapping himself on the head. "Right" Dragging his phone out of his pocket the young man punched in his little brother's number and held the phone to his ear. "Sammy? Sammy, answer me!" Dean frantically hollered into his cell when the ringing stopped. Static was his only answer. Two loud thuds sounded through the phone and then the connection was broken. Cursing Dean hit Sam's speed dial once more. Getting his brother's voice mail the angry older brother threw the phone across the room not even flinching when it hit the wall and shattered.

"What's wrong, Dean?" Bobby asked as he stood and walked over to the younger man.

"Something's happened to Sammy." He told the old hunter. "He picked up but I think someone knocked him out before he could say anything. At least that's what it sounded like. We've gotta get out there and find him!"

"Wait Dean. We need to know where to look first. We won't do your brother any good if we go off in the wrong direction. Think. Could you hear anything that might give us a clue as to where he is?" Bobby asked.

"Umm" Dean mumbled as he mentally went over the phone call. "I heard the wind and a car horn and Oh God! I heard cars and some crappy music! Sammy's on the road where the boys were snatched!"

"Shit!" Bobby cursed as he raced out the door after Dean. Jumping into the back of the Impala he held on tight as the frantic older brother spun the car around and screeched out of the parking lot sending the gravel flying in all directions. Watching the road ahead for any sign of John's youngest the old hunter sent up a prayer that they'd be in time. He didn't think any of them were ready to go another round with Mrs. Pool.

At an undisclosed location

Sam awoke to a pounding head and a freezing cold room. Curling in on himself for warmth he blindly groped for the blanket that must have fallen during the night. Feeling nothing but dirt Sam quickly peeled open his eyes. Blinking he looked up at the fading sunlight through a large hole in what appeared to be a cave of some sort. Curious he turned his head to one side moaning as the pounding in his head increased and his stomach rolled. Squeezing his eyes shut the young hunter took slow, deep breaths until the worst of the nausea passed. Opening his eyes once more he glanced around hoping to find an escape route but with evening approaching he could only see a few feet ahead of him. Cursing himself for letting down his guard the youngest Winchester slowly turned on his side before levering himself up into a sitting position. After giving himself a moment for his body to adjust to the new elevation, Sam scooted back until his back hit the cave wall and readied himself to stand. Using the wall as leverage he slowly stood swaying as his head swam at the movement. Dropping his head to his chest the young hunter concentrated on his breathing like his father had taught him many years earlier. Feeling a sudden drop in temperature Sam slowly looked up to find himself face to face with a familiar adversary. He heard a whispered 'welcome home, Joey' before his world went black once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- Feeling a sudden drop in temperature Sam slowly looked up to find himself face to face with a familiar adversary. He heard a whispered 'welcome home, Joey' before his world went black once more.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

"This is it!" Dean yelled as he swerved onto the grassy curb and slammed on the brakes. Throwing the door open he leapt out of the classic Chevy and hurried to the trunk scrutinizing the area as he did. "This is where all the boys disappeared. Sammy's gotta be around here somewhere."

Bobby quickly got out of the car and made his way to the younger Winchester's side. Placing a comforting hand on Dean's shoulder he said, "Dean, you search along the road in front of the impala, I'll take the road behind it, and your dad can search the area near the woods. Between the three of us we should find some sign of your brother."

"Don't worry son. We'll find him. Sam's never been able to hide from us for long." John assured his eldest. Tucking his pistol into the waistband of his jeans he added, "Let's get moving. We don't have much light left."

Nodding to the others Dean swiftly took up his place at the front of the impala. Focusing on the ground around him the young hunter carefully scanned the area on either side of him as he slowly shuffled down the roadside. As he searched for any trace of his brother he mind kept returning to Bobby's story. He remembered every aspect of that hunt; meeting up with Caleb, talking to the witnesses, Sam's research, and the hunt itself that had ended with a pale and bloody Sammy lying unconscious on the ground. Shaking his head to dispel that horrible image Dean concentrated on Sam's report about the banshee. He remembered the spark in his little brother's eyes as he told the group every little aspect about banshees. And he also recalled how that spark fizzled out the second his dad ordered him to leave the room. At the time Dean had put Sam's expression and his mood afterwards down to simple teenage rebellion. Back then Sam seemed to argue with everything their dad said or did and Dean had figured that time was no different. He'd had no idea that Sam had felt that way; that they'd made him feel that way. But looking back now Dean couldn't believe he'd missed it. Dean and his dad had always planned the hunts without his little brother. Dean had always figured it was easier that way; if Sam wasn't in the room; there was no one to argue about every little detail. No wonder the kid had felt like an outsider in his own family. He had been whether they'd meant for him to be or not. Well, that was gonna end just as soon as they found the kid again. He was gonna sit Sam and their dad down and make them work things out even if he had to hog tie the both of them. Hearing Bobby shout Dean snapped out of his musings. Spinning around he raced back down the road skidding to a stop in front of the older man. "What is it, Bobby? What'd you find?" he breathlessly asked.

Bobby held up the cell phone before placing it in Dean's hands. "Found it right there in that patch of grass." Bobby pointed out. "But there's no other sign of the kid; no tire tracks, drag marks, nothing. It's like he just disappeared."

Dean gently inspected Sam's phone grimacing at the spots of blood he found splattered on the keypad and screen. "Oh, Sammy" he whispered.

"Dean, what about the other boys?" John asked. "Was there any sign of a struggle when they were abducted? How did the police know where they were taken?"

Looking up at his dad Dean shook his head. "No, there was nothing. The only reason the cops knew where the boys had been snatched was the book bags. The kids' book bags were all lying by the side of the road but there was no other sign of the boys and no witnesses."

"And you're sure she couldn't have taken the boys back to her cabin?" Bobby questioned.

"Positive" Dean replied. "The first boy taken lives in that cabin. The police searched every inch of the house and the grounds thinking the mother may have done something to the kid. But the search turned up nothing. Same goes for here. After the second kid disappeared, the police canvassed the whole area. They got volunteers to comb the woods on both sides of the road. She has to be taking them somewhere else."

"Okay, then we go back to the motel room and hit the laptop. We need to find out everything we can about Mrs. Pool and her family." John decided already heading to the car.

"We can't go back to the motel, dad! Sammy's still out there!" Dean hollered. Storming up to his father he grabbed John's arm and spun him around. "I'm not leaving him here! There's no telling what that witch is doing to him!"

"Don't you think I know that?" John angrily fired back as he ripped his arm out of his son's grip. "I don't wanna leave him with Mrs. Pool anymore than you do! But there's nothing else we can do! We'll just be wasting our time if we stay here! We need to find out where she could have taken him! That's the only way we're going to get him back!"

"Your dad's right Dean." Bobby calmly stated. "We've gotta know where to look to have any chance of finding Sam and the other boys."

"I know" Dean softly admitted. "I just hate leaving him."

"It'll be okay, Dean. Sam's a fighter. He'll be fine." John assured him. "Mrs. Pool couldn't keep him under control when he was a hurt, little boy. There's no way she'll be able to keep a grown Sam for long."

"Never thought I'd be saying this, but your dad's right again." Bobby said. "Now come on you two. Let's get back to the room. We've got work to do."

The three men quickly piled into the sleek, black car and drove away never noticing the hate filled eyes watching their departure.

In the cave

Sam awoke to sunlight burning through his eyelids. Groaning he tossed his arm over his eyes and turned onto his side. Feeling the hard ground beneath him the young man frowned. What was he doing sleeping outside? Memories of the previous night flooded his mind making him gasp. Opening his eyes he glanced around the cave letting out a relived breathe when he found himself alone. Planting his hands on the ground Sam slowly pushed himself into a sitting position happy to note that while his head still hurt, the pounding was at a more manageable level than the night before. Knowing he needed to try to find an escape route before Mrs. Pool came back he carefully looked around. With the sunlight streaming through the hole in the roof of the cave he could easily see the entire room. A fire pit made from a ring of rocks lay in the center of the room directly under the hole in the ceiling. Beyond that Sam could make out several tattered children's toys scattered along the far wall. Except for some outcroppings of rocks and two openings there was nothing else of interest in the main room. Glancing from the passage on the left to the one on the right the youngest Winchester silently debated which route to take. Getting up he walked over and carefully studied both searching for any sign of a way out. Seeing nothing Sam decided to use an old standby from his childhood. "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe" he chanted pointing back and forth between the two openings. Finishing the rhyme he followed his finger through the opening in the left wall of the cave.

At the motel

"Okay, here's what I've got so far" Dean said rubbing his eyes. He'd never understand how Sam could stare at the computer screen for hours on end. Just the few hours he'd been searching had almost burned his eyes out. "Mrs. Pool was actually from a little hick town in Georgia. Her parents, Lorik and Madge Watkins, were wealthy, owned half the town. She grew up pretty much getting anything and everything she wanted; never had to lift a finger. Then about a year after she graduates she meets her future husband, Tommy Pool. Her parents protested; said he wasn't good enough for her and threatened to cut off her inheritance if she didn't stop seeing him but she ignored them. A few months later her parents turn up dead after a supposed robbery gone wrong."

"Wait, you're saying she killed her parents?" Bobby asked.

"From the sound of it, yeah she did." Dean replied looking back at the laptop. "And it didn't stop there. She married Pool in '78 and things went along fine till she had Joey. Then everything took a turn for the worst again. A few months after the kid was born Mr. Pool mysteriously disappeared. The police investigated but didn't turn up any trace of the guy. And that along with Mrs. Pool's "tearful" confession about finding money missing from their account and then catching him with another woman closed the case. The police decided he left on his own and Mrs. Pool happily went on her way. I couldn't find anything else on her until '82 when Joey was kidnapped from the cabin here. It made the news around here for weeks. According to the police reports I found it was just after Christmas and she and Joey were outside playing in the yard when the phone rang. She went inside to answer it and when she came out he was gone. She pretty much lost it after that; going to the police station every day and demanding updates, accusing the cops of not doing their jobs, lobbing accusations at the chief of police through the newspapers. The last straw came when the police stopped the search a month later. She physically attacked the chief and was shipped off to the nut house."

"That's all well and good but it doesn't help us find where she's taking the boys." John wearily stated. "Was there anything in there about some place she used to take Joey or some other house they had close by?"

"No, but I found the names of a couple of her friends." Dean replied holding out a piece of paper. "I took the liberty of looking them up. One's dead but a Ms. Dunn is still around. Lives right up the street from the cabin."

"Good work Dean" John praised as he took the paper from his son and grabbed his coat. "Let's go. We can stop and get some breakfast on the way."

In the cave

One hand on the wall Sam slowly made his way through the narrow passage. Shuffling his feet to keep from tripping he hoped he would find the cave exit soon. He didn't like being in total darkness and he definitely hated small spaces. Swallowing back his fear Sam continued down through the tunnel determined to find his way out. Rounding a corner a horrible stench assaulted his nostrils. Gagging he pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed through his mouth to keep from hurling. Seeing a light up ahead he doubled his pace hoping he wasn't about to find what he thought he was. Stepping into another well lit cavern Sam glanced around before quickly turning away. Leaning over the young hunter lost everything he had eaten the day before as the image of the four small decaying bodies flashed through his mind. Clutching the wall for support the littlest Winchester shakily stood and swiped a hand across his mouth. Saying a silent prayer for the lost boys he shuffled back down the tunnel.

At the Dunn estate

"Thank you very much for your time, ma'am" John said as the three hunters walked out the doorway. They trudged to the impala and quickly got inside.

"Well, that was a complete waste of time" Dean groused throwing his pad down on the seat beside him. "She was a wonderful person doesn't help us a whole lot."

"I know but maybe we can find…" Bobby began stopping when he spotted movement by the garden gate. "Think this might not be a wasted trip after all." He declared pointing to the older woman waving at them from behind the gate. Getting out of the car he added, "You two drive to the end of the driveway and wait for me there. We don't want to tip Mrs. Dunn off." He watched the black beauty roar down the drive before turning and hurrying to the open gate. Stepping through he glanced around smiling as he caught sight of the waver standing behind some enormous bushes. Walking over Bobby ducked behind the shrubs and studied the gray haired older woman. The elderly woman had her hair pulled back into a bun and was leaning heavily on a metal cane but her eyes were as sharp as steel when she looked at him. "Yes ma'am?"

"No ma'am, my name's Ruth." The elderly lady corrected. "I heard you boys asking about that Pool woman and I thought you needed to hear the truth."

"Which is?" Bobby prodded.

"The woman was pure evil." Ruth spit out. "She was always yelling at that little boy of hers, for the least little things too. And then there were the bruises. The poor little thing always had bruises on his arms or legs; even saw them on his face a couple of times. Mrs. Dunn would ask about them but that old bitty was a smart one. She always had an excuse ready. Usually it was something about him playing in that cave they found. But I knew bet…"

"Cave? What cave? Do you know where it is?" Bobby questioned.

"Sure honey, I can draw you a map that'll take you right to it." Ruth replied leading Bobby to a small cottage and motioning him inside. "But why would you want to…Holy Mary Mother of God! She's back, isn't she? Those boys that went missing! You think she took them, don't you?"

"Yes ma'am, I do" Bobby admitted. "And I need to find them as quickly as possible so if you'll just…"

"Oh, yes of course deary" the elderly lady broke in. Snatching up a pen and paper she hurriedly drew a sketch of Mrs. Pool's cabin and the area around it. Marking a spot with a big X she handed the map to a dumbfounded Bobby. "There you go, young man."

"Thank you ma', I mean Mrs. Ruth" Bobby said hugging the older woman before giving her a peck on the cheek. "You might have just saved the day!" Releasing Mrs. Ruth the hunter turned and hurried out of the cottage. He needed to get to John and Dean.

In the cave

Sam breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped back into the brightly lit cavern. Starting across the massive room he suddenly stopped turning as a noise caught his attention. Scanning an outcropping of rocks on the other side of the room he saw a flash of blue behind the biggest boulder as another pebble popped down the rocks and skidded across the floor. "Who's there?" he called taking a step toward the source of the noise. He gasped as a little head peeked around the outcropping before ducking back behind the boulders. _"Crap, she took another kid"_ Sam thought as he walked closer. Knowing his height often intimated children he stopped a few feet away from the outcropping and sat down on the dirt floor. "Hey, little guy. It's okay, I won't hurt ya." He called. "Come on out" He watched as the little boy's wide eyes stared out at him for a few minutes before the child, who appeared to be no more than five, hesitantly shuffled out from behind the rock standing beside it instead. Looking at the small boy Sam could see why Mrs. Pool had taken him. The kid was the spitting image of Joey with his mop of brown hair and puppy eyes. Smiling at his new friend Sam attempted to put the frightened little boy at ease. "Hi, I'm Sam" he greeted waving at the youngster. "What's your name, little guy?"

The tiny little boy stared at Sam as he nervously shuffled from foot to foot. Cocking his head to the side he studied the man before him saying nothing.

"Not a big talker, huh?" Sam asked. "That's okay. I can understand that. Bet you're probably a little scared right now, aren't ya?" Seeing the nod of the boy's head the young man continued. "Don't worry, buddy. You're gonna be okay. I'm not gonna let anybody hurt you. And I'm gonna get us outta here. See that tunnel over there? All we have to do is walk through that tunnel and then we're outta here. So, just come take my hand and we'll go, okay?"

The boy seemed to consider the offer for a little while but then shook his head taking a step closer to his hiding place.

"Okay, you're not sure about me yet, huh? That's alright. Guess I am a stranger to you." Sam said wishing once again that his big brother was here with him. Dean had always been great with children. "How about we sit here and talk for a while then?" he suggested giving the boy a dimpled grin when the child sat down cross legged on the floor. "Still not talking, huh? That's cool. I'll do the talking for a while. My big brother Dean says I can talk the horns off a billy goat anyway. He's the best big brother ever. Do you have a big brother, kiddo?" Getting no response the hunter tried a different approach. "You don't have to worry about anything, buddy. See, my big brother Dean and my dad will be looking for me. Oh man, I bet my dad's mad as fire at me right now. He's probably gonna kick my a…I mean, he's gonna spank me for running out like that." He amended when he noticed the boy's eyes widen. "You don't have to worry…" Sam stopped as the little boy jumped to his feet and the temperature began to drop. "Hide" he whispered to the boy. He waited until the child was safely behind the outcropping and then got to his feet. "Come and get me" he taunted.

"Joey Pool, don't you speak to me like that!" a ghostly voice wailed from behind the young hunter.

Sam turned and faced one of his worst nightmares. Remembering the little boy behind the rocks the young man glared at the ghost defiantly. "Listen, you b,witch! I am not Joey! My name is Sam Winchester! Now go back to Hell where you came from!"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY!" the spirit screeched. Blinking out she reappeared right in front of the young hunter. "You must be punished!" she screamed as she grabbed Sam by his jacket and flung him across the cavern smiling as he landed in a crumpled heap. Floating over to the young man's side ghostly fingers reached down to unbuckle the boy's belt. Pulling it through the loops she held it up in one hand while turning Sam onto his stomach with the other. "I'll teach you not to talk back to me!" she angrily yelled as she brought the belt down.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural-"I'll teach you not to talk back to me!" she angrily yelled as she brought the belt down.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

Sam groaned as he opened one eye halfway. He was really starting to hate waking up. Blinking in an attempt to clear his fuzzy vision the hunter let his cloudy mind drift back to his latest encounter with the malevolent ghost. He remembered Mrs. Pool appearing and yelling but that was it. Sam had no idea how he'd ended up sprawled on his stomach or why his head was pounding and his sight blurry. Wanting to get out of the humiliating position he was currently in the youngest Winchester slowly began to roll on his back. That was the worst idea he'd had since storming out of the motel room the night before. White hot pain shot from his back all the way down to his legs and his headache became excruciating as the drum solo became a whole marching band. Whimpering he froze as black spots danced in his vision. Sam slumped on his side, shut his eyes, and took a few deep breaths willing the pain and the nausea away. Once he was fairly sure that he wouldn't be tossing his cookies anytime soon the hunter slowly inched his eyes open squinting as he tried to make out the object on the ground in front of him. Blinking did nothing to clear the haze but even with his blurry vision the long narrow item was easy to distinguish. It was a belt lying beside him; a belt that was flecked with spots of something dark. _"Guess that explains why my back and butt feel like they're on fire. Man, Dean's never gonna let me hear the end of this." _He thought with a wince. _"But at least I kept her from going after…Oh crap! The kid!" _Sam scanned the room panicking at the thought of what an enraged Mrs. Pool might have done to the little boy. He relaxed as two tiny sneakers shuffled into his view. Gazing up at the small child and seeing something dark running down his face the young man frowned. "You okay, kiddo?" he called reaching a shaky hand out to the child. Seeing the boy take a step back Sam dropped his hand and plastered a smile on his face. "It's alright buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you." He softly assured the kid.

The little boy stuck his thumb in his mouth as he stared at the fallen hunter. Sitting down on the dirt floor the child pointed his free hand at Sam and pulled his thumb out of his mouth long enough to say, "Boo boo?"

Sam wondered from the simple word if the trauma of being taken and hurt was causing the kid to act a lot younger than his age or if he had misjudged the child's age. Wanting to keep the little guy talking Sam smile deepened. "Yeah, I have a boo boo." He replied. "Looks like you do, too. You alright?"

The small boy nodded his head. Inching closer to the fallen man he asked, "It hurt?"

"A little" the young man lied biting his lip as another sharp pain coursed through his back. "But don't worry. It's not that bad. I can still get us outta here. Just give me a minute to rest, alright?" Seeing the slight nod Sam breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he had to get them out of there before Mrs. Pool came back but he didn't think he could move just yet. Closing his eyes to rest for a moment the hunter was surprised to feel a tiny ice cold hand caress his cheek. He opened his eyes to find the little boy's bruised face mere inches from his own. _"Sleep time's over. I've gotta get him outta here before he freezes to death."_ He told himself staring into the child's sad, hazel eyes. "You ready to go home, buddy?" he asked as he planted his hands on the ground once more.

The boy studied the older man carefully and then shuffled a little closer. "Sam my friend?" he inquired around the thumb in his mouth.

"Yeah, kiddo. I'm your friend." Sam assured giving the small child a dimpled grin.

"Otay" the boy replied holding out a tiny hand. "Sam and J…" The rest of the child's statement was cut off as a loud screech sounded from across the room. Mrs. Pool was back!

In the impala

Dean slammed on the brakes skidding to a stop beside the front porch of what used to be Mrs. Pool's cabin. Throwing his door open he leapt out and raced around to the trunk popping it open. Grabbing a duffle he swiftly filled it with salt, an extra flashlight, rock salt rounds for the shotgun he shoved under his arm, a blanket, and the first aid kit. He'd get Sammy away from Mrs. Pool and her cave and then salt and burn her once he was sure his little brother was safe. "Let's go" he ordered as he shut the trunk and stormed around his classic car. Glancing at Bobby he added, "Which way?"

"According to the map the cave is approximately two miles to the north of here." Bobby explained pointing behind the cabin with his shotgun. "Head into the woods between the shed and an old oak tree then make a right at a small stream. It should lead us right to the cave."

"Hope your girlfriend's right about that." John teased attempting to lighten the mood a little.

"She better be. Sammy's running out of time. I can feel it." Dean muttered as he passed Bobby and John and took the lead. The three hunters quickly disappeared into the woods.

In the cave

Needing to get up, Sam pushed off the ground with his arms moaning as they trembled before giving out dumping him back on the floor face first. Ignoring the white hot pain that raced through his body the hunter turned onto his side determined to protect the scared little boy who was hiding behind the rocks. Glaring daggers at the ghostly woman in front of him he croaked, "Thought I told you to go to Hell!"

"Joey Pool! What have I told you about talking to me that way?" she hollered as she stepped closer to the injured young man. "I thought that whipping I gave you would straighten you out! Guess I wasn't hard enough on you! Well, I'll fix that!" Mrs. Pool reached down snatching the belt off of the ground. Smiling manically down at the littlest Winchester she walked closer raising the belt once more.

Sam tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he watched the ghost close in. Turning his "bitchface" as his brother called it, on the spirit the hunter managed to pull himself up a little with the help of a nearby boulder. Leaning on the huge rock to keep as much pressure off his backside as he could Sammy was about to let his 'inner Dean' out when a blur of blue raced across the cave to plant itself between the hunter and the ghost. Mouth dropping open in shock he could only watch as the little boy bravely stood protecting him.

"NO!" the little boy shouted raising both hands. "No hurt Sam! Him my friend! You no hurt him mommy!"

Mrs. Pool stilled staring down at the small boy in astonishment. "Joey? Joey, baby, is it really you?" she whispered.

"Yes mommy" the little boy replied as his image flickered slightly. Joey walked toward the woman who had inflicted so much pain and grinned. Now knowing exactly what he had to do the small child reached out to his now kneeling mother with both hands. Wrapping his arms around the ghostly woman's waist he glared at her and said, "You been bad mommy. You be punished now."

Sam gasped as a reddish mist rose up from the ground and started winding around the struggling spirit. The little boy took a step back as the mist enveloped the screaming woman before shattering her form and dispersing the tiny pieces in a burst of light causing Sam to shield his eyes. Hearing a giggle he uncovered his eyes to see a happy Joey being held by a young man.

"I go now" Joey told Sam with a smile. "Bye bye Sam"

"Thank you for freeing my son" the man's spirit said. Embracing his baby boy Tommy Pool looked up and flickered out of sight taking Joey with him.

Slumping back against the boulder Sam groaned as his injuries suddenly made themselves known. Leaning his forehead on the cool rock he suppressed a sob. He wanted his family to come take him home, too. He needed his big brother to rescue him from this nightmare and then hug him and tell him everything would be alright like he'd done when they were children. Sam angrily swiped a hand across his damp face as he struggled to get his emotions back under control. "Suck it up" he told himself. "You've gotta get your sorry ass outta here." After a few more minutes of pep talking, Sam grit his teeth in determination and placed his hands on the boulder. Pulling himself up he leaned on the rock for support breathing heavily. Once he felt a little steadier the young man slowly stood moaning as the pain in his head and back doubled. Holding onto the large rock for dear life he forced himself to move only making it one shaky step before he tumbled to the floor. Closing his eyes as wave after wave of pain shot through his battered body he strained to hear over the roaring in his ears. He could have sworn he'd heard Dean hollering his name. But he couldn't have heard Dean, could he? Blinking open one eye Sam found himself gazing into a very familiar set of worried green eyes. Pulling himself up once more the overwhelmed young man threw himself into his big brother's arms.

Surprised Dean wrapped his arms around his little brother being careful not to touch the injuries that were hiding under Sam's blood stained shirt. Reaching up he carded a hand through Sam's chestnut hair as he slowly started to rock. "It's okay Sammy" he whispered. "I got ya. You're alright now." Hearing his dad and Bobby come up behind him he added, "You're going home, kiddo. We're taking you home."

AN- So, should I leave it there or do you want more?


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

AN- The first of two round robins written by members of The Writer's Guild was posted last night. The writers (in order of appearance) are maxandkiz, supernaturaldh, Spoilerwolf, Vonnie836, and Ames449. It's called Half Cocked. Check it out if you get a chance!

Previously on Supernatural-"It's okay Sammy" he whispered. "I got ya. You're alright now." Hearing his dad and Bobby come up behind him he added, "You're going home, kiddo. We're taking you home."

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

"How is he, Dean?" John worriedly asked as he knelt down beside his boys.

"Not good. Looks like he's been conked on the head at least twice. There's a good sized gash above his left eye and a goose egg on the back of his head." Dean relayed eyes never leaving his trembling brother. "And his back's a bloody mess. Don't know where the blood is coming from or what caused it. He freaks when I try to get a look at it."

"Think I've got a pretty good idea what happened." Bobby growled pointing to the bloody belt lying on the ground.

"Oh, Sammy" John whispered looking from the belt to his youngest. His grip tightened on the shotgun in his hands as anger coursed through his veins at the thought of what that witch had done to his baby boy. Needing to know just how much damage had been caused John reached over and took hold of the hem of his son's ripped shirt. With shaking hands he gently lifted the cloth cursing as the reddened welts and oozing gouges in his boy's skin came into view. He quickly lowered the shirt and turned away as a myriad of feelings overwhelmed him. After a brief struggle, the Winchester patriarch reigned in all emotions save one; rage. Using the intense anger of a parent whose child has been hurt to his advantage John pushed the guilty father in him to the side and morphed back into hunter mode. Standing he scanned the cavern for his prey and then turned to the others. "Dean, you and Bobby get Sam out of here! I'll deal with Mrs. Pool!" he barked.

Dean opened his mouth to protest only to be stopped by a soft noise. Gazing down at his brother he tenderly swept the bangs out of his sibling's eyes. "What'd you say, Sammy?" he quietly questioned. The whispered answer left him stunned. "Mrs. Pool's gone? Are you sure, Sammy?" Feeling the nod against his shoulder he grinned. "Way to go, Sam!"

Kneeling back down beside his boys John carded a hand through his youngest son's mop of hair before cupping the boy's cheek. "Great job, Sam! I'm proud of you, son!" John praised.

Hearing his dad's praise Sam shut his eyes. He'd always longed to hear his father say those words to him but it wasn't right. He hadn't gotten rid of Mrs. Pool. In fact he hadn't done anything but screw up since this case began. And as much as he wanted to he just couldn't allow his dad and Dean to think he was the hero. Knowing what he needed to do Sam took a deep breath and slowly pushed away from Dean so he could look his dad in the eye. "N't me" he mumbled. "Jo'y did it. S'ry d'd."

"Joey? You mean her son Joey?" John asked. Hearing the faint 'yes' he exchanged knowing glances with Dean and Bobby. "Sammy is Joey dead?" he prodded.

"Y's" Sam sighed leaning against Dean's side. "S'ry. Scr'd up 'g'n"

"No Sammy, you didn't screw up." Dean assured his little brother. "Did he dad?"

"What?" John distractedly asked as he surveyed the cavern. Noticing Dean's glare of death when he turned back to his sons he quickly added, "No, no of course not, son."

Rolling his eyes at the heartfelt sentiment Bobby set his shotgun on the ground and leaned down beside the youngest Winchester. "Come on Dean, let's get Sam outta here." He suggested as he carefully took one of Sam's arms and laid it on his shoulder.

"No" Sam muttered weakly pulling away from the older hunter. "Oth'r b'ys in c-cav'n the'e. G't to, to…"

"Got it Sam" Bobby broke in. He gently patted the boy's head before standing and hurrying toward the passage Sam had pointed to. "Let's go Johnny!" he ordered as he headed into the dark tunnel.

Dean kept his eyes on the tunnel his dad and Bobby had disappeared down even as he continued to comfort his little brother. "Hold on, kiddo. We'll be outta here soon." He soothed. "Just stay awake for me a little longer, okay?" He whispered words of comfort and reassurances until he saw the twin beams of light announcing the hunters' return. Seeing the haunted looks in both men's eyes Dean knew the news was not good; that they had been too late. Dropping his gaze to the floor he sent up a prayer for the lost boys and their families. Schooling his features he glanced back up at his dad and Bobby. "They're gone?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah" John replied kneeling down beside his boys once more. "Looks like they've been dead for a while now. There's nothing we could have done. We'll call the authorities and leave a tip when we get far enough away from here."

"Sammy, it's time to go. Dad and I are gonna help you stand, okay? You just relax and let us do all the work." Dean instructed as he tightened his hold on his little brother's waist. He waited for his father to take up position on Sam's other side and then the two men slowly stood bringing the youngest member of their family with them.

Sam clamped his eyes shut as the change in elevation caused the room to spin wildly. Once the dizziness subsided he opened his eyes to half mast and glanced at John. Seeing the anger on his father's face the young man swallowed. _"Dad's mad at me again."_ He thought. _"Gotta suck it up." _Determined to show the others that he wasn't some baby that needed protecting, Sam struggled out of his family's arms. "I'm fi'e" he croaked shrugging off their helping hands. He managed to take one step before everything turned black and he knew no more.

AN- Nope, not through yet. This is what happens when I try to write an epilogue. It kind of takes on a life of its own. The comfort's coming next.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Previously on Supernatural- Determined to show the others that he wasn't some baby that needed protecting, Sam struggled out of his family's arms. "I'm fi'e" he croaked shrugging off their helping hands. He managed to take one step before everything turned black and he knew no more.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

The impala raced into the hotel parking lot aiming for the room at the end. Sliding into the space in front of the last room in the row the black beauty growled to a stop. John quickly climbed out of the front passenger seat slamming the door. Noticing that the engine was still running he ducked down to look through the open window. "You not coming in, Bobby?" he asked.

"Not yet. Got an errand to run first." The old hunter replied. "You and Dean get Sam in the room and start cleaning the kid up. I'm headed to the local hospital to see if I can't liberate some medical supplies. We're gonna need a lot more than what's in our first aid kits to take care of him."

"Alright, just be careful Bobby. People are more wary of strangers in a small town." John warned before walking the few steps to the back of the classic Chevy and opening the door. He carefully grabbed his younger son around the waist holding him steady as Dean slid out of the seat. Between the two men they managed to pull Sam out of the car and carry him into their room.

Depositing the injured young man on the bed furthest from the door Dean headed into the bathroom for the supplies they would need while John began removing the boy's bloody clothes. In minutes he had his son stripped down to his birthday suit and laying on his stomach. Taking in the damage done by the enraged spirit the father cursed. He wished he could bring Mrs. Pool back just so he could kill her again himself…slowly. Hearing a soft whimper he glanced down to see a pair of unfocused hazel eyes staring up at him. "Hey Sammy" he whispered carding a hand through his boy's unruly locks.

"D'd?" Sam slurred as he began to squirm. "H'rts d'd."

"I know baby, I know" John replied, "Dean and I are gonna get you all fixed up and then we'll give you something for the pain, okay? You've just gotta hang in there a little longer for me. Can you do that, son?"

Sam stared at his father for a moment before nodding and shutting his eyes with a sigh.

"No sleeping Sammy. Open your eyes. I need you to stay awake for me." John instructed letting out a relieved breath when his son blinked up at him. "That's good Sam. You're doing great, kiddo."

Sam frowned at his dad's praise. He hadn't done a good job. He'd screwed up and gotten himself hurt again. Needing to set his father straight the littlest Winchester whispered, "N't go'd. sc'wed up g'in. s'rry d'd."

"Sam, what are you talking about?" John asked waving off Dean who had just come back into the room. "Son, you didn't screw up. You helped take down Mrs. Pool's spirit and you found the missing boys. You did a great job buddy."

"No" Sam argued shaking his head. "N't me d'd. Jo'y. He s'ved me. He…"

"Hey, hey calm down Sammy" John ordered as his youngest grew more and more agitated. "Calm down, you're okay now. Everything's okay."

Seeing his father's attempts to calm his little brother down getting nowhere Dean hurried into the room. Setting the supplies on the nightstand he took a seat on the bed beside his dad and cupped Sam's cheek gaining the boy's attention. "Calm down kiddo. Come on breath with me. In…out…in…out" he softly instructed. He kept coaching until Sam's breathing had slowed to a more normal pace. "Good Sammy" he praised. "Dad and I are gonna start cleaning your back now, kiddo. Okay?" Getting a slight nod Dean reached over to the nightstand and picked up a clean rag soaking it in the warm water he had brought as their dad did the same. Together they gently cleaned the blood off their youngest wincing at every hitched breath or moan of pain. Once that part was done the older brother reached for the peroxide. Hating the fact that he was about to cause his little brother more pain he uncapped the bottle. The roar of the impala's engine had him putting the bottle and cap down and hurrying to the room door. Throwing it open Dean rushed out to car and helped Bobby bring in an armload of supplies.

Tossing the medical equipment onto the empty bed Bobby took a moment to check over Sam's injuries. Shaking his head at the damage he turned and snatched up the IV bag, tubing, and kit. He wanted to get some pain meds in the youngster before they dealt with the wounds. The kid had been hurt more than enough and he wasn't about to allow anyone to cause the boy any more pain. "Johnny, take that God awful picture off the wall. Dean, I need you to hold your brother's arm for me so I can get this IV started." He ordered. He ripped open the alcohol wipe packet and withdrew the tiny saturated towel. Grabbing Sam's hand tightly he ran the wipe across the back of the boy's hand before picking up the needle and carefully inserting it into the vein. "Sorry Sam" he mumbled as he taped the IV line in place. Standing he hung the bag on the exposed nail and started the drip. Rifling through the pilfered supplies once more he pulled out a vial and syringe. After filling the syringe with the medicine, the hunter injected it into the IV line smiling as Sam's body slowly relaxed. "Don't worry. I didn't give him anything too strong. Just something to take the edge off a little." Bobby assured the others. "He's been through enough without having to endure the pain of being stitched back together."

"Alright now that Sam's taken care of let's get this over with." John muttered picking up the peroxide and one of the suture kits. Sitting back down next to his son he took a deep breath and got to work.

A couple hours later the three men had their youngest member stitched, bandaged, and tucked into bed. Deciding he needed some time alone with his baby boy John sent Bobby and an unhappy Dean off to sleep in the adjoining room with the promise to wake his eldest in a few hours to switch. Sitting in a motel chair by the bed John couldn't help but remember the small child Sam had been. He hated that the loving and happy boy of the past had turned into this haunted young man before him. Little Sammy had never once questioned his father's love for him. He didn't need to; he knew his dad loved him more than life itself. But somewhere along the way adult Sam had lost that assurance. The man before him actually thought that he was a disappointment to his father; a screw up as the kid had put it. John knew that was all his doing but he didn't know how to make things right. Somehow he didn't think mere words would do the trick this time. It was gonna take a lot more than that to get through to Sammy. Running a weary hand down his face the Winchester patriarch decided that if words didn't work, he'd just have to go back to treating Sam the way he used to treat Sammy. Granted it'd probably freak the kid out at first but hopefully with time Sam would come to realize that his old man still loved him more than anything. Hearing a slight rustling from the bed he decided it was time to put his plan into action. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed John watched as hazy eyes opened and stared up at him. "Hey Sammy. How're you feeling?" he asked brushing a wayward strand of hair out of Sam's eyes.

"D'd?" Sam slurred blinking to clear his cloudy vision. "H'rts d'd"

"I know buddy, I know" John whispered. Glancing at the clock he sighed. "It's too early to give you anything else for pain, Sam. Try to get some more sleep, okay?"

Sam nodded in understanding and tried to stifle a whimper as a sudden pain shot across his back.

Seeing his son in pain was all it took to spur John into action. Kicking off his boots he picked up the covers and slid into bed beside his youngest. Forgetting that his son was now a grown man he gently pulled Sam closer to him resting the boy's head on his shoulder. "Shh baby, it's okay. Daddy's got ya" he soothed running a hand up and down Sam's arm. "I'm here. You're okay. Shhh"

A few hours later

Dean fumed as he walked the short distance from Bobby's room to theirs. He couldn't believe his dad had broken his promise and not come to get him. "Good thing I set the alarm on my phone." He muttered as he unlocked the door to the room Sam and his dad were currently sharing. Opening the door he tiptoed in freezing at the sight before him. His dad was in the bed cuddling his hurt little brother! Their old man hadn't done that since Sammy was seven and sick with the flu. Getting over the initial shock Dean slowly shut the door and walked over to the bed. After checking on his brother and assuring himself that the younger boy was resting comfortably, Dean dropped into the chair beside the bed. He settled into the chair and focused his attention on his sleeping family. It was his turn to watch out for them now.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

AN- Not to sure about this one. Think the first ending worked better.

Previously on Supernatural- After checking on his brother and assuring himself that the younger boy was resting comfortably, Dean dropped into the chair beside the bed. He settled into the chair and focused his attention on his sleeping family. It was his turn to watch out for them now.

As Sam drifted towards consciousness he slowly began aware of two things: he was lying on something soft and warm so he wasn't in the cave anymore. Which was good. But he was also snuggled against someone's side. And that someone wasn't Dean! After a lifetime of big brother hugs and cuddles, Sam knew Dean's touch like the back of his hand. And the callused hand on his arm was definitely not his brother's. Neither was the bearded chin that was resting on his…wait, a beard? "Oh my God! I'm cuddling with Bobby!" Sam thought with a groan. It has to be Bobby. He's the only one with a beard besides dad and there isn't a snowball's chance in Hell of it being him. The mighty John Winchester does not hug let alone cuddle anyone. Sam frowned as another more troubling thought danced through his fuzzy mind; where was Dean? His big brother always stayed with him when he was hurt or sick. So why isn't he here? Why is Bobby cuddling me instead of Dean? "Unless he's hurt" a tiny voice whispered. The thought of his brother being injured propelled Sam into action. Fueled by worry for Dean he fought his way out of the blissful oblivion and back to consciousness.

It took a Herculean effort but Sam finally managed to pry his eyelids open. Blinking several times in an attempt to clear his hazy vision the young man glanced around the room sighing with relief when his eyes landed on his brother's blurry form slumped in a chair beside the bed. Assured that Dean was alright Sammy closed his tired eyes only to open them once more as his curiosity got the better of him. Taking a deep breath he looked up mouth dropping open at the sight of his sleeping father. Shutting his eyes tight he counted to three and then opened them again stunned to still see his dad embracing him. Confused Sam lifted his hand to touch his father and winced as something pinched him. He stared down at the IV in his hand for a moment before grinning. "Ohhhh" he thought. "I'm in a hospital on the good stuff. And this is all just a hallucination. Now that makes sense." Satisfied that he had figured out the strange scene Sam closed his eyes and faded back to sleep secure in the knowledge that when he woke up everything would be back to normal.

Sam drifted in and out of consciousness the next two days waking rarely. But each and every time he woke his father and brother were right there beside him.

Three days later

Sam slowly opened his eyes and glanced around starting when he found himself face to face with his father. "Dad?" he croaked, "You're still here?"

"Of course I'm here Sammy" John replied hiding the wince that his son's question had caused. "Why? You tired of me already?"

"No" Sam whispered shaking his head, "but the hunt…"

"The hunt can wait Sam. The most important thing right now is you; getting you better. And I'm going to make sure that happens. I'm not gonna leave until you're back on your feet." John told his son.

Sam opened his mouth to argue but closed it as a more pressing matter made itself known. He looked around the room before turning back to his dad. "Ummm, dad? Where's Dean?" he rasped.

"He went to get some supper. Why Sam? What's wrong?" John questioned putting a hand on his boy's cheek.

"I ummm, I gotta go, go to the bath-bathroom." Sam stammered as a blush crept across his face.

"Well then let's go" John said. Grabbing the edge of the blanket he started to pull it off only to meet with resistance. "Sammy son, you've gotta let go of the blanket if you wanna get up."

Shaking his head Sam held the blanket in a tight grip. "Wait dad" he whispered. "I need my, my pants first."

"No can do, kiddo. Those welts on your back are just starting to heal. You don't need something rubbing them raw again." John pointed out as he yanked the blanket out of Sam's hands and tossed it on the floor. "You don't have to be embarrassed son. I'm your dad. I've seen you in your birthday suit more times than I care to remember."

"But dad! What if Bobby walks in?" Sam protested covering himself with his hands.

"Sammy, you've been laying in that bed for the past three days now while Bobby and Dean and I cleaned you up, changed your bandages, and pumped medicine into you. He's already seen it all. You ain't got nothing to worry about." John explained with a chuckle. Taking his son's shoulder he carefully rolled Sam onto his side before levering him up into a standing position. After giving the boy a moment to adjust to the change, the oldest Winchester started the slow trek to the bathroom with his youngest son. Making it into the small room John made sure Sam was steady on his feet and then excused himself from the room to give the youngster some privacy.

Sam quickly finished his business and shuffled to the sink. Worn out from the short walk he leaned heavily on the sink as he washed his hands. Turning off the taps he glanced towards the door with a sigh. As much as he wanted to he knew there was no way he'd make it the few steps to the door unaided. So sucking up what little was left of his pride he called for his dad.

Hearing his name John rushed into the bathroom to find his son hanging onto the sink for dear life. Striding over he wrapped an arm around Sam's waist taking most of the boy's weight. "Come on Sammy. Let's get you back to bed." He whispered as he began walking them out of the bathroom. Shuffling over to the bed John helped Sam lay down on the bed once more. Snatching the blanket off the floor he covered his son up and tucked him in. He then sat down on the bed by Sam's hip. "How are you doing, Sammy?" he asked. "You need anything?"

Sam gazed curiously up at his old man as a hand started stroking his hair. "Dad? You're really starting to freak me out. What's going on?" he questioned. "Why are you still here? And why are you acting like you c…?" Sam quickly covered his mouth. He hadn't meant for that last part to come out.

"Like what? Like I care Sam?" John huffed. Standing he stomped to the other side of the room and stood for a moment. Reigning in his anger he turned and walked back to the bed taking a seat beside Sam. "Son I do care. I know I've haven't been the perfect father or even a half way decent one at times but I love you. I've always loved you. You and Dean are the only good things in my life. And I know I've been really hard on you and I've said some things I didn't mean especially when you got older. I don't know why it was so much easier for me to show you boys affection when you were really little. I guess the older you two got the less I thought you needed it; needed me. But I was wrong. I never should have stopped giving you guys the love and attention you needed. But I promise I'm going to do a better job from now on. You're my baby boy, my last gift from Mary, and I swear if it takes me the rest of my life I'm gonna show you just how much you mean to me." Reaching over John carefully wrapped his arms around his youngest, drew him against his chest, and held on tight.

The End


End file.
